A Certain Immortal Saint
by spiritjumper
Summary: Toma (now in college) and Index's friend is mysteriously targeted by the English Puritan Church. Unsure whether they can trust her or not, it's left to Stiyl to decide whether to protect or kill her, that is, if he can resist her deadly charms. TomaxIndex, StiylxOC, slight StiylxIndex
1. Opening

A/N: This story was completed ahead of time so you don't have to worry about it ending while the story is still incomplete. This is the first of several chapters I will be uploading each week.

I do not own this show. Though I do own the OC's.

Thank you and Enjoy

* * *

I stare at my watch while slouching and sigh, "It's only five minutes past five," I say with slight tension in my voice. There's still an hour before my shift ends.

"Don't look so upset, at least the day's almost over," chirps one of the girls who works here. She's a student working with Toma, goes by the name Lilith or something… I sigh again at her and she chips, "Oh, come on, if you're that bored why not come inside and I'll show you what we're working on."

"Just let him be Lilith. The oaf probably couldn't understand it anyways," says Toma.

"Oh please," I bark, "don't give me that, you little shrimp. Whatever it is, I'm sure I can understand it just fine."

"Yeah sure," he says without an ounce of belief, his eyes half lidded. He moves his hand over the mouse and begins explaining.

I turn to see Lilith giving me a pleasant smile. She normally isn't this happy, there are probably only a few times I've seen her truly smile. It's kind of cute. "Stiyl!" wines one of the other female students. Iri is her name. She wouldn't let me forget it… She grabs my bicep, smushing it against her chest and moans, "_Finally_ you came to see the _hard_ work I've been doing,_ slaving_ away down here!" Iri is the head of the research project Toma, Lilith, and herself are doing and she's two years older than both of them. For some reason, she felt the need to attach herself to me and I've barely gotten a moment's peace ever since.

Lilith's smile seems to have darkened just a bit, "We _all_ worked really hard to make this happen, right Toma?"

"Right." At that moment, the automatic door slides open and Index walks in dressed in a tight school uniform, none too pleased.

"Tomaaa!" She yells, "Where is my food! We have nothing for dinner!"

"What? But there should have been more than enough for a few days… wait, how much_ did_ you eat? You couldn't possibly have eaten all that so quickly."

"Hmph!" she says snarkily, "I'm a growing girl, you should know that!" At her comment, Toma can't help noticing _where_ exactly she had grown. And _boy_ had she grown. Index notices his gaze has fallen to her chest and screams, "Toma!" She chomps down on his head and Toma yells in pain, falling out of his chair.

"Rotten… luck…" he moans, tears pricking his eyes.

I see Lilith's worried gaze brighten into a laugh as her hand comes up to cover her smile. I find myself smirking at them. It's been a while since the last time we were attacked and things seem pretty quiet at the moment. Peace like this is a wonderful thing even though I would never admit that out loud. Lilith notices I'm still looking at her and smiles at me, her glasses twinkling under the artificial light. I look back at the others before returning to my post. Yep, hopefully we can enjoy some peace and quiet before the next evil mastermind attacks.

An hour later the others clear out of the lab and I begin locking up the facility for the night. "Yay! Toma and I are going drinking tonight!"

"Index, you're not old enough to drink," drones Toma, rubbing his head.

"Oh come on Toma, lighten up. Just one little drink won't hurt me."

"Yes it will!" they continue. I see little Lilith looking up at me again. Her brown hair swaying at her sides. To myself, I think she must not be over 5'2''. "Why don't you come with us Stiyl?"

"I still have to finish up here."

"That's okay, we'll wait," she says sweetly with her hands clasped in front of her. She must have been really popular in high school with a look like that. Her baby blue blouse clings to her petite chest and her brown ruffled skirt hides shapely hips and dark tights cover her soft thighs.

"What is it Stiyl?" she asks innocently. I turn away. She hasn't noticed me ogling her yet.

"Oh, nothing. I'm a bit busy…" I know she's looking at me. Damn. If I look back, I'm never getting out of this. I don't really want to go drinking with them. Don't do it, I tell myself. Don't-

Despite my best intentions, I look back at her and her chocolaty brown eyes are begging me. "Alright. I'll come. Just give me a second."

She smiles a cute smile again. I turn around to try and hide it, but I know I'm blushing. Damnit.

"Oh, I can't wait to get so drunk!" exclaims Iri, clapping her hands together in excitement as I take out my key to lock up the lab.

It's gonna be a long night…

* * *

A few hours later we drop Iri off at her apartment. She managed to get so drunk, Toma and I had to carry her out of the taxi while she was giggling about some award she was going to win for their project. But that isn't my problem at the moment. It's been a half out since then and right now, I'm stuck alone with Lilith who seems so oblivious and the alcohol is just making it worse. She walks along beside me just fine but I can see a slight shade of pink dusting her smooth cheeks and a giddy smile on her face. Toma and Index are just ahead of us and I try to keep my eyes on them to avoid looking at the girl next to me. "So do you enjoy your job?" asks Lilith.

"Where is this coming from?" I respond casually.

"I was just curious. You've been with us for a while, longer than I think most people would stay at a job if they didn't like it."

I don't know what kind of an answer she's expecting, but I tell her as much as I can. "Well, I don't exactly have a choice. I guess you could say my situation is… unique."

"Huh?" she says with glazed eyes'.

"There's not much I can really say about it." I might be a little drunk too.

"Oh," she sighs. She would not usually give up on getting an answer so quickly. Perhaps it was the alcohol. Her brown eyes are wavering as she looks at me, they sparkle in the moonlight. No, what's wrong with me? I have a mission to protect Index. I can't be thinking of this girl like that. I feel a warm hand on my arm, "Is something wrong Stiyl?" Crap, she must have noticed my face.

I almost flinch at her question but relax, collecting myself. "No."

She still looks unsatisfied, but appears to let it go. "Hey, why don't we all go to my house? We can stay up and watch movies and stuff."

Index giggles, "Sounds fun!"

Toma and I look at each other dejectedly but neither of us has the heart to ruin their fun.

* * *

"_This_ is your house?!" exclaims Toma. The cigarette falls from my mouth. It's huge. Two stories and wide enough to fit a small apartment complex inside. The sign at the gate says VonCrass. I knew from her light hair Lilith was European but I wasn't expecting a noble. Index happily runs inside and the rest of us follow.

A few hours later, I walk in from the kitchen, glass of chardonnay in hand to find Index has fallen asleep on Toma's lap while Toma lays unconscious against the couch on which Lilith has fallen asleep herself. I smile coyly, thinking what a picture they all make together.

But something isn't right. I can feel an ominous presence outside. I decide I'll check the doors in a minute, but as I raise my glass to take another sip, a tremor shakes the home and the wall is blown wide open. Pieces of dry wall, wood, and concrete fly past. I barely manage to stay on my feet as the others are startled awake.

"Well hey there Kami, didn't expect to see you here," calls a familiar voice.

"Tsuchimikado, what are you doing here?"

Next to Tsuchimikado stands our friend, Kaori Kanzaki. "Oh don't worry, we're not here for you or Index. The one we're after is that girl," says Tsuchimikado pointing an accusatory finger at Lilith. "You see, she's actually heir to a bloodline the church previously thought had died out. It's said they hold a power that is extremely detrimental to the church and we need to make sure that bloodline stays buried."

"What are you talking about? Lilith would never hurt anyone! She's just a girl!" yells Toma.

"I don't think so Kami."

Kaori raises her sword and a bright light whizzes towards us. Toma moves his right hand to counter the spell but Lilith, unaware of his power and fearing for her friend, grabs Toma around the waist and pushes him out of the way of the blast. As it flies by her, the spell rakes through her back, leaving a deep bloody red gash from her waist to her shoulder. When I see the girl I've spent countless days with at the lab lying on the floor in her own blood, a sick feeling of dread drops into my stomach, twisting and fueling my anger. A vain bulges in my neck. Pulling the magic rune cards from beneath my clothes, I begin chanting the spell.

Toma yells, "You won't get away with this Tsuchimikado!"

I'm about to put up a wall of flames when Tsuchimikado stop me, "Wow, hold on there. What's with all the rage?" He asks, looking towards me with a smirk. His eyes are like a cats, hiding behind his shades. "You should be helping us, Stiyl. _You're_ a member of the English puritan church too, or have you forgotten?" He retorts.

Grinding my teeth together, I hate to admit it though he's right, damnit. But that doesn't mean I support this. "What? Were you going to kill her? She's done nothing wrong." I sound like Kamijo, maybe I _have_ been spending too much time around them… A sidelong glance towards the others and I notice Toma has managed to free himself from under Lilith's limp body. He and Index are holding her and Index looks panicked. I can see tears in her eyes.

"Don't worry Index," Lilith, barely conscious, comforts her as she lays mortally injured. "Toma is okay." A dribble of blood falls from the side of her mouth. "I don't think… they mean to hurt you. You don't have to worry."

"You idiot, I don't care about that! Think about yourself!" cries Index.

It's no use, her eyes are closing.

What's going on here? Did the Church really order this? I can't believe that. Then was this all just a mistake? I cry out in anger and throw a barrage of flames at Tsuchimikado and Kanzaki. I know I can't hurt them, but I can at least keep them from reaching the others. "Lilith!" screams Index. I put everything I have into trying to push back the intruders, but they won't budge. She doesn't deserve to die like this! A moment ago we were just sitting together happily. She can't.

Something amazing happens and everyone turns to look at Lilith as she sits up, despite the wound on her back. Her eyes are still closed with an otherworldly look about her, as if possessed by something. The blood from the wound seems to wrap itself around her. Glowing, it returns, flowing back inside her and the wound vanishes as if it never happened.

Unsure of the situation, Kanzaki waves away my flames and the pair disappear with the wind. All that's left is the gaping hole in the wall. I run over to Toma and Index and collapse in front of them as they hold Lilith. She's still unconscious. "Lilith!" Her eyelids wobble at my voice and open tiredly. "Wha-what… happened?"

Index squeals and hugs her friend close to her. Their bodies press firmly against one another. They continue to hold tight for several long moments. If they did this under any other circumstances, I'm sure Toma would have thoroughly enjoyed the sight of the girls embracing their ample teenage bodies together. But frankly we're too relieved to really enjoy it. Thank goodness they're safe, but for how long?


	2. Fallout

A/N: Tip! While reading this, listen to the Attack on Titan Original Soundtrack on Youtube. Thanks again for reading with special thanks to **Proxy4818** for reviewing and **Taromaru** for following already. You guys are awesome! Thanks and enjoy.

* * *

After the smoke clears from the battle it's hard for us to gather our composer. I run my hand through my hair, before starting the hard part, "What were you doing?" I glare at Lilith.

Lilith looks at me curiously, "What do you mean?"

"You should have let Toma and me handle them," I say referring to Tsuchimikado and Kanzaki.

"But he would have died if he was hit with that blast!"

I stand up, towering over her. "He would have been fine!" I bark.

"Easy Stiyl," Index interrupts, "She didn't know about that. She couldn't have known about Toma's hand. She's just a normal esper student. She doesn't know about magic."

"His what?" asks Lilith.

Toma struggles to put his hands over Index's mouth. He doesn't want her spilling the beans about magic, though that seems to be futile at this point.

I take out a cigarette and press it to my lips. Relaxing for a moment before lighting it, "Right, I guess she wouldn't know about that. Sorry for going off on you." Her soft, childlike eyes follow my movements with an innocent look. But as she sits there in a daze, she seems as if on the edge of a cliff, peering down at death, like she might break at any moment.

"Uh-it's okay," she's looks scared and confused as she circles her arms around herself and a part of me wants to tell her it will be alright, that I won't let them near her as long as they mean to hurt her. She's still a young girl after all, barely older than Index. But then again, if the Church is after her, that power she has must be important. They don't just attack people for no reason. And the way she healed herself; that was by no means normal or natural. There had to be some sort of magic involved even if she herself has no knowledge of it. And if that magic turns out to be a threat, I might just be the one to kill her myself. Though I sincerely hope not.

Her distressed gaze falls from my face to her trembling hands as I watch her cautiously. I can see the thoughts running through her head, trying to figure out what could have caused this and getting nowhere. "What happened? I was dying. What the hell happened to me?" she begins to panic, her hands grasping her head as the grave reality sets in. She turns around to see us all giving her questioning looks.

We're all thinking the same thing and it isn't pretty. The unfortunate truth as I see it is: she really could just be putting on an act, fooling us all into thinking we can trust her and then turn Index over to a secret employer. It's frightening realizing how little you know about a person even after working beside them for a long time. Even someone you consider a friend.

This doesn't sit right with me. Maybe Index and Toma would be more trusting, but not me. If she is a spy, there's no way I'll let her anywhere near Index from now on.

"I'll take her, you guys go on home," I order.

"But if they attack again, won't you need backup?" asks Toma.

"If we all go, it will attract far too much attention. I'll take her someplace safe."

"Okay," says Toma, unsure. A skeptical expression on his face as he looks at me before going our separate ways.

* * *

As Toma and Index walk back to the apartment alone, the two begin talking again. "I'm not sure I trust Stiyl," Toma starts.

"What do you mean?"

"The look he had just before he left, I think he suspects her."

"Well, he_ is_ with the same sect of the English Puritan Church that Tsuchimikado, Kanzaki, and I are."

"I'm just thinking... What if he changed his mind about her?" Toma says with a somber tone.

"What do you mean?" Index asks curiously.

"What if he decides to hand her over to Tsuchimikado and Kanzaki?"

Index gasps. "You don't think he actually would, do you?"

"I don't know," his eyes narrow, "and that's what worries me."

* * *

I've decided to take Lilith to a hotel I know after packing a few changes of clothes for us both from the stuff I found lying around the house. The hotel room has two beds separated by a small table. She's barely said a word for the past hour, stuck in a daze. "Hey."

"Yes?" she asks, her voice like the far-away chiming of a bell.

"Take your clothes off."

"Alright," she stands up. That didn't have the reaction I thought it would. I expected her to get mad at me. Of course all I meant by it is that her current attire is spattered with blood and she should take a shower. Still, I was hoping to get more of a rise out of her and possibly bring her out of this trance she's in. She grabs the hem of her shirt and starts pulling it over her head right in front of me.

"Wait, stop! I meant in there," I motion to the bathroom, exasperated. Christ, she really is out of it. I even managed to catch a glimpse of her bra before I pulled her shirt back down. I tangle my hand in my red hair painfully as I hear the shower begin running. How long am I going to be able to deal with this?

* * *

"Maybe we should go back and check on them," offers Index.

"Yeah I think that would be a good idea. Here, I'll just call them," says Toma, pulling out his cell phone.

"But wouldn't that alert them to what we're doing?"

"We don't really have a choice. Do you have a better way of finding them?"

"No," replies Index, puffing her cheeks grumpily as Toma dials the number.

* * *

Lilith's phone begins buzzing on her bed. I open it and answer, "Yes?"

"Stiyl? What the hell are you doing on Lilith's phone?!" snaps Toma.

"Easy kid, try to calm down. She's just in the shower," as I speak, the water in the bathroom shuts off and she walks out dressed in only a towel, holding it lightly around herself as she rubs her eyes tiredly, "Who is it, Stiyl?"

I stare at her for a second, unable to look away. Her skin is pink with the heat of the shower. It's smooth and her wet skin shines under the light. Before I can stop myself, I cant help but think how cute she looks…

"Stiyl? Stiyl!" Toma yells into the phone, forcing my attention.

"Ow," I pull away from the phone, "She's right here," I hand the phone down to her.

"Yes, hello?" Lilith says tentatively.

I sit down on the bed and sigh.

["Oh good. You're still okay. Listen, can you walk into the hallway or something. Just go someplace where Stiyl can't hear you," warns Toma.]

"O-okay." says Lilith.

* * *

I can't hear what they're saying, but it surprises me when she walks into the hallway. I grab the door as she's about to close it. "Hey, where are you going?" I ask suspiciously.

"Um-nowhere. Toma just wanted to talk to me. That's all."

I release the door and she closes it behind her. No doubt Toma means to talk to her someplace I can't hear them. He probably suspects me. Being that I worked with Kanzaki and Tsuchimikado in the past and even injured Index, it's not that surprising. Probably better Lilith has someone like that on her side. But then again, guys like Toma can easily be tricked. If Lilith really is playing us, he and Index might try to get in the way. I think to myself, I have to stop that from happening or they could be caught in the crossfire.

The door opens and Lilith sighs, but she has a worried look in her eye. Internally I think, I was right. She doesn't trust me anymore. I'm sure this is only going to get harder, but certainly more interesting.


	3. Fluffy Fluff :3

Lilith closes the phone and drops it on her bed. Holding the towel around herself with one hand and sitting down on the bed. A loud sigh escapes her lips and my eyes fall to her thighs, then back up to her face. A droplet of water from her hair slithers down her pink cheek, catching on the corner of her mouth and running down her chin. Her lips look soft and inviting. Unconsciously, I think how tired I must be to think such a thing about a woman. Her eyes seem tired. She leans down to open her bag, holding the towel tight to her chest. "Um, could you turn away?" It takes a moment before I remember that she's talking to me and do as she asks. I know that behind me she is pulling her pink girlish pajamas over her completely naked form. "You can turn back now." The bow on her top is crooked and the sleeves are slightly too long for her short arms. I walk over to her to try and help but my foot catches on something and I find myself sprawled out on top of her. We both fall hard to the carpeted floor.

"Ow," she moans as her pajama's tightly hug her curves underneath me. When she recovers, and looks into my eyes again, she asks, "Stiyl?" her voice just above a whisper and the warm brown of her eyes, shimmering.

"Haaay!" sings Index as she opens the door to the hotel room. She stops abruptly seeing me straddling her friend. One of my hands is over her wrist so it looks like I'm holding her down. Oh god this looks bad.

"Index, why did you just stop in the middle of the doorway? Hey are you even listening?" urges Toma. He follows Index's gaze until our eyes meet and he knows exactly what happened. A coy smile is plastered across his lips. "Oh, I see. What a naughty guy you are Stiyl, I had no idea you were into this kind of thing." He seems eager to get revenge for all the times I made fun of his relationship with Index. He knows this is just a misunderstanding. Damn you Toma!

Lilith's face flushes again and I can hear whimpering noises coming from her mouth as tears prick her eyes. Index, noticing her friend's distress and wishing to take her frustration out on someone, begins grinding her fangs together, "Tooommmaaa!"

The young man screams before her teeth clamp down over his skull and she ravenously bites him.

"Rotten luck…"

"Um," says a tiny voice below me. "Could you, maybe, let me go?" stutters Lilith with that same blush dusting her cheeks. I fall off of her awkwardly without a word, leaning against the bed and coughing to hide my own embarrassment. She sits up and goes to calm Index down, convincing them its' okay and they can go.

* * *

"Everything seems alright," says Toma after they exit the hotel building.

"Yeah, almost too alright by the looks of it," mutters Index.

"I think we can probably leave her with him for now but we should definitely check on them again tomorrow."

"Yeah, good plan," Index agrees as they walk back to the school dorms, calling it a night.

* * *

Noticing my discomfort, Lilith opens her mouth, "What is it? Is everything okay?" she asks me as she crawls into her bed, the pink pajamas still clinging to her small body. Her voice is sweet. It's hard to imagine this person could ever have anything to do with evil magic.

"Just fine. There's no need to worry," I reassure her as I turn out the light. I'm so tired. Exhaustion threatens to overtake me as it pulls at every muscle in my body. I make my way to my own bed on the other side of the room and climb in. The clock reads 12:22 AM. Too much has happened today. First work, and then the drinking party, then we were attacked, and now this. I glance over at the girl in the opposite bed one last time and see her gentle face. Her body is angled towards my own and she looks peaceful but with a hint of fear as she clutches the bed sheets protectively around herself. Before sleep takes me, I wish I could comfort her, though a man of the cloth like myself probably shouldn't be thinking of such things. Before I fall asleep, I have to remind myself that growing too close to her might really get me killed.


	4. Necessary Coercion

A/N: I feel bad for making you wait, so here is another chapter.

* * *

Something's… heavy. My groggy mind searches to find the source and my hand touches something warm. I open my eyes. There's a lump under the covers. Index? No- the covers move and fall away from her face, Lilith. I let my head fall back into the pillow. "Ah!" I feel pain between my legs and try to cover my gasp. She has her knee in a place it ought not be. Damnit, why isn't she in her own bed?

I can feel her move again and stifle another gasp. "Stiyl? What are you doing here?" she inquires, waking up.

"I was going to ask you that. This is my bed." Her face turns red as a tomato and she squeals as she races to escape, hitting that place again. I grab hold of the bed sheets to control myself. Damn… that really hurt.

"I'm sorry, are you okay?" she asks innocently.

A droplet of sweat falls down my face, "Just fine. Don't worry about it." I cast a sidelong glance out the window. I think I know how Toma feels now.

"But how did I even get in your bed last night?" she asks, sitting on the carpet floor.

"I think I remember you muttering something about the cold."

She blushes red again, "Oh yeah, that's right. I was feeling really cold. I guess my body just moved without thinking. I'm so sorry," she exclaims. Attempting to get off the subject, she adds, "I know! The hotel has breakfast included, why don't I get us some?" she sings, getting to her feet.

"That would be great, thanks."

"Alright!" Excitedly grabbing her bag, she goes to change clothes in the bathroom. I check my phone and not surprisingly, there has been a call from the director. I wait until Lilith leaves before calling back.

"Stiyl, good, I was hoping I could reach you soon. How is she?"

"She's doing alright. Pretty freaked out. That kind of thing tends to happen when you're almost killed," I respond sarcastically.

"We knew she wouldn't react well, but we can't afford to let her power fall into the wrong hands. What happened before with Kanzaki and Tsuchimikado was a mistake. We never meant to hurt her but if she hadn't gotten in the way of Kanzaki's spell-"

"She was trying to protect her friend, like any normal person."

I can hear the director sigh on the other end, "Yes, regardless, you bring her to us and she won't have anything to fear. Do you understand Stiyl?"

I hesitate for a while, reluctant to agree. If I had my way, Lilith would be able to live out her life, free to follow her own desires here in Japan. But then again, this isn't the kind of thing I really have much of a choice in. I must do as they say, however unsavory. That is the way of Necessarius.

"Is that the will of the English Puritan Church?" I ask, hoping in a last ditch effort the director will back out.

"Yes. Now do your job and bring her to us. We will have no choice but to consider you and the Kamijo boy enemies of the church if you fail at your mission. Is that thoroughly understood?"

My lips purse, "Yes," I answer sternly and end the call.

"Guess what I have?!" Lilith chirps as she opens the door a few minutes later.

She carries two plates of bacon and eggs along with a bowl of rice and two cups of orange juice. "Thanks," I say again, forcing a smile. She grins back at me and a pang of guilt hits my chest. What the hell am I going to do with her? If I turn her over, Index will never forgive me. But I can't let her stay here or the church might decide she's too much trouble and want to kill her. If that happens, they'll only send more enemies after us. There's no way I'll be able to protect her then.

As she chomps down on her eggs, I can finally feel the full weight of the situation hit me.

There is nothing more I can do to protect her.


	5. Two Types of Plot :3

"Well, this is unexpected," laughs Tsuchimikado, lowering his shades to inspect the crowd below.

"It sure is. I can't believe they would come to a pool just because they think we won't attack them here. Unnecessarily endangering others…" replies Kanzaki in a serious tone.

"They probably don't know that and just think it's a good place to hide. If only I could be with them enjoying the ladies too," Tsuchimikado smiles.

* * *

"I don't know," says Lilith, worry lacing her voice.

"It'll be fine."

"But do I really have to wear this?"

"Yes, you DO!" chides Index, taking her by the shoulders, "Besides, you look great! I'm sure he'll _love_ you in it!"

"Wait, who are you talking about? Aaa!" she cries as Index pushes her out of the changing room forcefully.

* * *

"_Oo_, a solid B, maybe even a C! And Index has definitely grown to a D." exclaims Tsuchimikado, happily rating the girls' chest sizes.

"You're disgusting," responds Kanzaki.

Tsuchimikado snickers.

* * *

Toma flinches, taken aback by the girl's nearly naked bodies. Lilith falls out of the changing room, a tight black string bikini just a size too small covering her ample chest. As I stand next to Toma, I can feel my cheeks heating up. Oh well, I was prepared for this. I knew ahead of time what I was getting myself into when we agreed to come to the pool today. Hiding in plain sight, not my favorite tactic, but still an affective one for times like this. Index stands in front of Toma tilting her sunglasses tauntingly. She's wearing a zebra stripe bikini over her now large and perky chest. "Hey Toma, what do you think of our swimsuits?" she asks flirtatiously.

"Well, um, I…" he trails off.

"Oh come on Toma, don't you have anything to say?"

"Um, you look," his eyes keep darting between Index and the ground, his cheeks flaming, "very nice."

"Wow, I'm surprised you actually said it!" boasts Index, taking him by the arm.

Later on, Index and Lilith are frolicking over in the wave pool with an inner tube. Confident it would be impossible for anyone to hurt them with so many people around, I lay my head back on a lawn chair and take another long drag on my cigarette. After a while I doze off to the sound of the girls playing and the other patrons around us milling about. "Hey Stiyl," says Kamijo next to me, annoyingly waking me up from my nap.

I sigh, bored, "What is it?"

"Do you think…" he trails off. I look over at him when he doesn't finish.

"Spit it out already. If you have something to say, say it."

"Okay, it's just… do you think… Index and I, could… you know..."

"No I _don't_ know," I bight back. Resisting the urge to say something worse despite a growing feeling of angst and possible jealousy broiling inside me.

"I mean…" he continues again.

Though I don't feel sorry for his situation, I do understand how he feels. Having feelings for Index isn't a good thing. I would know. But perhaps he's the only one who can truly provide for her. Protect her. Given what she is, all these years it seems the only person truly capable of staying with her is that boy. And if Index is happy with him, I'm not complaining. As if I even have the right to after all I did to her.

"Look, whatever it is. As long as Index is happy, I think you should continue doing that."

Toma looks really happy for a moment but then he seems crestfallen, "But what if she stops liking me? I can't imagine the thought of waking up one day and her… not being there. We've been together for almost four years already. I can't help but think what if something awful attacked while I wasn't around? Or what if she runs away again?"

"Look, that won't happen. And if it seems that way, I'm sure Index would rather be with you no matter what, even if there are hard times. Listen carefully, don't you ever forget that. Until the day she says she doesn't want to be with you anymore, stay by her side and don't you ever leave it."

The air is heavy between us until the squeal of one of the girls gets our attention. Turning around, our eyes widen at what we see. Index is sticking a blue popsicle in Lilith's mouth, drips of it falling between her chest in the summer heat. Index holds her own pink popsicle in her other hand along with two more, a red one and a yellow one. Toma takes both and hands me the red. My gaze finds its way to Lilith again whose eyes are closed as she sucks on her popsicle. At her action, I can feel my body growing hot against my will. "Oh Lilith, you got juice on your chest. Here, I can get it for you!" Index takes a napkin and rubs at the crease on her chest.

Out of my peripheral vision, I notice Toma gaping at the two, causing a spark of anger to race through me. Grabbing him hard by the collar, I drag him away from the poolside towards the food court. "Quit gawking like a fool and help me order lunch."

"Um, yeah sure but do you really have to drag me?" he whines. "Hey! Stiyl!"

I release him reluctantly. "Stop screaming!"

Shut up Toma, shut up! I think to myself. I can feel my body is still excited from watching the two women, I just hope I can calm down before we have to go back. I knew it was a mistake to wear only swim trunks today. Damn. "You know, you really should learn to control that mouth of yours one of these days," I snap.

"You should talk. At least you have a body they would admire. I'd kill for abs like those," he says, rubbing at his sore neck and looking at me. I'm trying to ignore him. "I mean, you must lift weights every day to get your arms so toned. Maybe we could work out together some time!" he says with a cheesy smile on his face. His babbling is getting annoying.

I glare at him as I take our food, "Absolutely not."

"But-"

"I don't need a shrimp like you weighing me down."

"Oh sure, call me a shrimp. Just remember that because of my hand, I'm the one who can take a hit from even the toughest magic spells and come out without a scratch. Can you say the same?"

"You're seriously using _that_ excuse again?"

"Why not? If it's true-"

I swear I'm about to grab him by the throat and shake him. If I didn't have trays in my hand, I so would. We find a picnic table to sit down at and I have one last smoke while Toma calls the girls over.

Wait. My eyes rush open and I feel a dangerous presence again, just like the time at Lilith's house. It hovers in the air a moment before dissipating. The girls walk up not a minute later, dripping wet. Index and Toma make faces at each other as they get ready to eat and Lilith pulls her towel around herself while finishing off her popsicle. I move over to make room for them on the bench and unwrap the hot dogs. However, just as my finger touches the tin foil, my body freezes. I can't move, I think to myself fearfully, _Damn, is this a spell?_

Everyone continues eating as it seems they haven't noticed me yet. I try to open my mouth to form words but nothing comes out. Toma glances at me curiously, "What's wrong Stiyl? You look-"

He touches me with his right hand and it breaks the spell. "Get down!" I grab Lilith. Toma pulls Index into a protective hug, both of us looking about the area, fearing the worst. A loud clap like thunder rips the table in half and a sword is pointed at my throat. The people around us cry out in terror and begin to flee.

I reach for my rune cards in my pocket but the sword presses deeper into my throat, nearly breaking skin. "Give up. She must come with us or else. You know the consequences should you refuse."

"Kanzaki, you know we can't do that!" Toma pleads.

"Shut up boy, this isn't like with Index. It isn't just about erasing her memory," she gets quieter so that only the four of us can hear. "No one must know of her power or it would bring ruin to the church."

I don't know what to do. What must I do? I think to myself, _I should just hand her over to Kanzaki and let the church work this out._ But I could be endangering Lilith's life. Since the moment I took the job as a guard at the research lab, I was supposed to protect her along with the rest of the students. Even if it was just a cover, I still feel that obligation. Though I wonder, "What exactly is so dangerous about her power that the church needs to take her into custody? Is it not enough to keep her under surveillance like we have Index?"

"I suppose that might work in theory, but those are not our orders and we have no choice but to follow what we have been told. That goes for you too, Stiyl," Kanzaki continues. Damn! They know that the director called me. There's no way out of this now.

Toma yells,"If it means giving her up to you people, then we'll respond the same way we did with Index. We won't let you take her! Stiyl, don't let them fool you. She belongs here! You know that!"

"Shut up!" I yell at him finally. "Just stop." Standing up straight and pulling Lilith tighter to my chest. I look towards Kanzaki and Tsuchimikado, resolved. "Alright, you can have her." I mean what I say and am about to hand her over despite my inhibitions. Kanzaki lowers her sword and reaches out to take her. But to my surprise, Lilith cries out, "No, please don't!" and something in me finally breaks. Without thinking, a blazing flame erupts from my palm towards Kanzaki and I shove the girl towards Toma and Index, "Run!" I yell impulsively.

I try to cover their escape but a blast of sharp wind collides with my back and I hit the ground rolling several feet away. Struggling to get up.

My blood runs cold. "Damnit," I croak as I pull myself to my feet. I can feel blood dripping from the wounds in my back. I have no idea why I did what I just did. But there is no time to think about it now. All I have to do is cover their escape. "Fortis 931!" I speak my magic name and summon my strongest spell, throwing rune cards into the air. A giant fiery beast erupts from them. "Innocentius!"

Kanzaki bites her lip in frustration as she struggles to keep my familiar at bay. "It looks like we're going to have to get serious," says Tsuchimikado, finishing his magic circle and preparing a very powerful spell.

"He wouldn't," I say to myself worriedly but begin backtracking just to be safe.

"Stiyl!" I can hear the others calling to me from across the way and instinctively dive towards the ground, but not soon enough. A bright light, a strike like thunder, and nearly the entire pool front is reduced to rubble. It isn't just me that is caught in the blast, a few unfortunate patrons that didn't make it out in time lay scattered about the compound, bloodied.

"You idiot!" Kanzaki yells at Tsuchimikado.

"Had… to be done." He declares, blood dripping from his mouth and sides. It seems he still wasn't up to using magic again after the esper classes. Kanzaki picks him up and vanishes into the air, retreating.

My entire body hurts. My mind is too muddled to think clearly. I try to move from the tile walkway but find it's impossible. I can feel warm blood pooling around me. Moaning, "In… dex…"

* * *

"He's bleeding from his head," cries Lilith, terrified. "What happened? What was that?!"

"A spell," says Index, running over.

"Index, can't you do that spell with the angel you used to heal yourself again?" asks Toma, "You almost died once, maybe we can use the same thing to save him. I'm going to call an ambulance to help the others."

"Well I can try but I'll need help-"

"Please try!" cries Lilith. "I'll do anything. He's saved me twice already, we have to save him. Please, I'm not strong," she says between sobs, feeling utterly powerless. "Please, help him."

* * *

A/N: Notice the chapter title ;D ;D ;D Also reviewing is cool! So is following! If you do either, I promise to award you with internet cookies!


	6. Intermediary

Sorry for the super late update. I kinda dropped fanfiction for a while to focus on school. Reminder that this story is primarily from Stiyl's POV.

Also, if you enjoy the english voice actors for Toma and Stiyl and don't mind english dubs of live action movies, check out Rurouni Kenshin: Part 1 Origins. It's quite good. Now onto the story!

* * *

Index looks at her friend and nods, "Right!" They begin the spell and the image of an angel materializes. Bathed in white light, she hovers overhead, ethereal.

Toma watches closely, wanting to help but unable to because of his right hand. Lilith and Index join hands, the wounds slowly begin to close, and the angel fades away.

* * *

I can see the sky... muddled, blury thoughts are buzzing around my mind.

"Hey, how do you feel?" asks Lillith. I notice my head resting on her bare thighs and feel warmth return to my face.

"Much better. Thanks."

"Alright then, we should get out of here as soon as possible," urges Toma.

"Right." I stand slowly and manage to catch Index as she begins to pass out. Seems she's overexerted herself from the spell. She still isn't used to performing magic without the aid of John's Pen, so it takes a lot out of her. "Come on. We should go."

* * *

Soon enough, the four of us are back at Toma's apartment. "Why would they attack a public place like that? I thought the church was against involving innocent bystanders!"

"They normally are. But it seems they've deemed the situation dire enough to forgo the normal routine." Lilith sits in the corner, shivering. She clutches her clothes, still partially damp from being hastily thrown over her bathing suit. "I can't believe they would go that far just for me," she says, guilt lacing her words. Something tells me that behind her frightened eyes, she sees the ghosts of the rest of the people who were hurt in the blast. "I can't... I can't allow myself to be the cause of any more pain and misery. I have to give myself up."

"No, you can't do that!" cries Index. "Sure they came after you, but that's not _your_ fault. If you don't want to go with them, you shouldn't have to."

"Index is right. You have a life and friends here," adds Toma. "You shouldn't have to give that up just because some people you've never met tell you to." He looks over at me with a knowing expression. "Right Stiyl?"

"My gaze hardens at his question. "Personally I don't really care what you do, but at the moment it seems I've gone against the church's wishes which makes me their enemy too. So it's not like I can do much."

"Just being here to help protect her would be enough. You were willing to fight to protect Index, but now Index and I want to fight to protect her. And we don't want to end up having to fight you again either. Stiyl, _please won't you help us?_" begs Toma sternly.

Damn, he really knows how to hit a guy where it hurts. My past feelings for index burn at the back of my mind. But they won't overwhelm me. Sure I used to be her protector in the past, but I failed, and she cares for Toma now.

"I'll do what I can for the time being. For the moment though, you two should get some rest. I'm sure Index is still exhausted."

Toma looks at me with relief and a grateful look in his eye, "Thank you, Stiyl."  
I grunt and turn away but put a hand up in reluctant acknowledgment.

The next thing I know, the girls are apartment hunting, searching for a new hideout for us until this situation with the church blows over. They locate one in a building a few blocks down and call the manager. By the end of the day, we're sitting on the couch of our new place, one room, two futons, a half bath and a kitchen. Not bad on such short notice. But I'm by no means excited about having to spend another night alone with her, let alone longer than that. We turn in early after I make sure to set up the necessary seals to mask our whereabouts while we rest, and Toma and Index head back to their place.

When I turn out the lights. I'm more than ready when sleep takes me, however short-lived it might be.

* * *

Thank you so much if you've stuck with me up to now! Next chapter should be posted tomorrow. I hope... All the best. R&amp;R


	7. Characterization

Through a dark haze, blood is spattered on concrete rubble stretching on for miles and bodies litter the ground. One with a thick head of autumn red hair. A black cloak lies at her feet. Reaching down, her hands drape themselves over the soaked fabric. A bright light like a bomb explodes before her eyes and a Japanese woman stands in front of her holding a sword, its sharp edge flying inevitably towards her head. Death. She makes to scream but finds herself choked by fear. A cold paralysis grips her limbs.

Lilith gasps, sitting up in bed, her muscles clenched. Her hand reaches up to her face to find wet tears at the corners of her eyes. Slowly, shaking, she gets out of bed. Feeling the floor with her bare feet. She hobbles over to the bathroom, tripping over the wood notch and falls inside, her knees hitting the cold, hard tile and pain rushes through her legs. "Ow," she gasps then holds her breath and turns to look over her at the other bed, hoping she wasn't too loud.

Her body continues to shake and her gasps become sobs as she sits on the cold, unforgiving floor. The memories of her dream still fresh as a knife in her mind.

_Something's wrong_, I think to myself half asleep. I can hear the weeping of a young woman and find myself unable to fall back to sleep.

Lilith. I recall we had gotten a room together. I was supposed to be watching over her as I promised Toma I would. But where is she? My hand comes up to push the hair away from my face. My white tank top is wrinkled from sleeping. That's definitely her voice I hear. Damn. I get out of bed and walk carefully, making my way over to the fragile sound, trying not to startle her. It seems to be coming from the bathroom. "Lilith?" I ask, reaching around the doorway and looking in. She sits on her knees, her hands nudging her eyes, covering her face. I reach my hand out to her but pull back hesitantly. I've never been good at comforting people. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"How… did you know?" she says between sobs. I kneel down next to her.

"We all get them sometimes, don't let it bother you too much," I offer warmly.

"I saw…" sob, "you were dead…" sob…

She was dreaming about me? I'm rather uncomfortable knowing I'm in someone's thoughts in such a gruesome way, but I hesitantly take her around the shoulders and pull her closer to me. "It's okay. It was just a dream. I'm right here. Everything will be alright." If it weren't for Index, I think to myself wryly, I probably would have never learned to do this sort of thing.

"Really?" she looks up at me with vulnerable eyes. She is indeed too much like Index. All those years ago, I used to be Index's guardian instead of Toma and when she was afraid, I learned to comfort her the way I am now. But that was a long time ago and my desire to be here for the girl in front of me is growing. I ponder these strange emotions. Why is it I decided to save this girl instead of handing her over to the church like I should have?

"But how do you know that?!" she wails, distrustful of my help. "Those people could attack tomorrow! Or right now if they wanted to! And there's nothing I can do to stop them!" Her voice squeaks and she breaks down again. Her head falls lower into my chest. I can feel her tears drop against my robe. Reaching out, I cup her face in my hand and force her to look up at me. The pad of my thumb running over her cheek.

"No one is going to hurt you."

"That's not…" sob, "what I'm worried about." A look of confusion crosses my face as she pauses for a moment. "I can't stand to see you…" sob, "Or anyone else… get hurt because of me." Her heated tears race over my palm as it touches her flushed cheek and I'm surprised. This girl doesn't seem to care about herself at all. It appears that she only ever worries about the well being of others. I put my arms around her, pulling her into an embrace. I can feel my anger rising.

"Nothing is going to hurt me. I promise I won't let them touch us or any of our friends ever again. You have my word." She continues to cry for several minutes before she reluctantly drifts off to sleep in my arms, soaking tears into my shirt. Her week hands loosen their grip as she falls limp. When her breathing has calmed and I'm sure she's finally fallen asleep, I slip my hands under her knees and around her back, lifting her up tentatively, and carry her to bed, lying next to her through the night. She continues to quiver and it pains me that I can't drive away the entirety of her sadness and for the rest of the night I can't bring myself to leave her side.

It seems I have a new mission. I decide I'm not just protecting her for Index's sake anymore, but for my own. "What a handful," I say to myself, finding it impossible to resist the call of sleep any longer. I can feel her hand fall into mine before I drift into unconsciousness.


	8. An Awkward Awakening

My arm stretches around something warm and my chest feels heavy. Opening my eyes, I find Lilith asleep with chest pressed against mine, my arm draped protectively over her back and shoulders. She squeezes her arms around my midsection and my heart speeds up. I can feel the pounding in my chest. I just hope she can't hear it too.

"Mmm," she moans in a low voice I find attractive, "Stiyl?"

Blinking up at me, her cleavage is pressed against my arm. She smiles while I gaze at her, "Good morning," she says cutely. The smile leaves her face as she flushes red and unwraps her arms from around me, embarrassed, she attempts to pretend like it never happened, like we didn't just have our arms wrapped around each other all night. She gets out of bed quickly and rushes over to the kitchen. "I'm going to make breakfast," she decides, disappearing from sight. I lay back down to rest. Well, that was interesting, I think to myself as I take out a cigarette and light it, blowing smoke towards the window. My face heats up as I think how good it felt to have her clinging to me like that. A few minutes later, the smell of something delicious wafts in from the apartment's kitchen. "Breakfast is almost ready!" she calls. I untangle myself from the blankets and walk over to see, forcing my tired legs to carry me across the room, nearly falling over when I'm met with an apron. I chide my own weakness as I look down at her adorable little figure. The apron is wrapped around her ever so tightly. She vaguely reminds me of a housewife. Damnit, I thought I was above getting excited at this kind of crap. Toma, I blame you for this. "What is it Stiyl?" she asks me, seeing my distress.

"Oh, nothing," I pretend, backtracking. Putting a hand across my face to hide my flushed cheeks, I stutter awkwardly, "It smells… really good." I wonder how out of character this is for me and try to remind myself that this is a job, nothing more. Then again, after last night, I'm not so sure.

She grins happily, "Great, I hope you like it." She seems like one of those moe maid types who looks really cute but whose food tastes like dog crap. Careful not to let my fearfulness show, I take a bit of the breakfast casserole she has laid out and pop it in my mouth.

Please Kami, I pray this meal isn't so bad I pass out! I don't think I could take her crying again.

Finishing carefully, I'm surprised to find the food is edible. In fact, it's actually quite good. We finish our meal together and then make plans to meet up with Toma and Index. Grateful, I take a moment to thank Kami that this food didn't kill me.

* * *

"Hey Toma, what do you think about Lilith and Stiyl?" prods Index.

"What do you mean?" he answers while writing down equations in a workbook.

"Come on, doesn't it strike you that they might make a good couple?"

Toma pauses and turns around with a blasé expression, "Index, haven't you had enough of these fantasies of yours?"

"What! Fantasies?! I'm sure I don't know what you mean," she gripes sardonically, crossing her arms and refusing to look at him.

Toma rubs his head tiredly, giving in, "I suppose they might," he says remembering the scene they walked in on not twenty four hours earlier. Then again, he knew it was a misunderstanding as he was very used to being the butt of many such misunderstandings himself. He had no idea whether or not Stiyl honestly had feelings for her or not. "You realize the other night wasn't what it looked like, right?"

"Well of course I know that, but still. It's obvious she likes him, so I think-"

"Wait wait wait!" halts Toma, "How could you possibly know that?"

Index looks at him with vexed anger, considering whether to bite him for that incredibly stupid comment. Instead she decides to puff out her chest and explain to the poor boy, like the mature adult she is, exactly how she came to decipher the heart of another young girl such as herself. "Ahem," she starts, clearing her throat, "Just think about it, my young and very inept friend! Do you not observe the almost constant blush adorning the young girl's cheeks as she converses with the man? Does her body language not scream, I want to do naughty things with you?!"

What was curiosity on Toma's face, glazes over, "Don't you think you might be overreacting a bit?"

"Ug, of course not! I bet I know when a girl likes a boy better than anyone you've ever met!" boasts Index. "I'm as good a judge of character as the Saint Peter himself!"

Yeah, _sure_ you are Index, thinks Toma. Then again, if a woman likes Stiyl, he can't help but feel obligated to tell the man himself. Kami knows he couldn't figure it out himself. He should at least warn him in case the woman in question decides to go all _Index_ on him. Or worse. Even if he couldn't see that happening, better to let Stiyl know ahead of time, just in case.


End file.
